The Cameron Book Club 2019
This article contains a review of each book I read throughout the year, in the order of completion.
I’ve been utilizing my local library quite a bit and trying to get back to reading a lot more. If you have any suggestions of books you love, let me know!
If you’re interested in seeing what I’m reading in 2020, you can follow my new post here.
1. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
After reading all of his brother John’s books (author of The Fault in our Starts) a few years back and being a fan of Hank through YouTube, I was eager to dive into his debut novel.
This book lived up to my internally-generated hype. In fact, I would say I enjoyed it more than any of John Green’s books, save The Fault in our Starts, of course. It was simultaneously everything I expected and a complete surprise, as I had no idea what the premise was before cracking it open.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is all about the tension between expectation and reality as the protagonist is catapulted from anonymity to internet fame literally overnight as a result of (you guessed it) something absolutely remarkable. And yet, the novel somehow manages to feel both adequately big — tackling the somewhat sci-fi events of the story as they affect the whole world — and pleasantly small — focusing in on a small group of friends who find themselves not only in the spotlight but often on the front lines of everything young twenty-somethings are unprepared to handle.
Amidst the fast-paced plot, Hank manages to weave irony, commentary, and wisdom in equal parts. One of the best things I can say about any story is that it feels “real” or “true.” Aspects of this book certainly do: the events of the story and the world around it, the characters’ actions and their consequences, and the main character as a unique and interesting (if admittedly self-sabotaging) person.
The only thing that stands out is that the other characters in the novel mostly felt quite flat. They weren’t awful, and we do get some good moments of both tension and connection, but these moments aren’t quite as powerful as they could be, and these supporting characters don’t really have meaningful arcs.
Lastly, this novel has one of the most original sci-fi concepts I’ve ever read and handles it really well. There are no laser swords or space battles, but I was continuously interested in what would happen next, because it didn’t really fit into any model that I had seen before. It was refreshing and didn’t really feel like a sci-fi novel at all.
Grade: 8/10
Solid read, good pacing, interesting premise, and great handling of the world in general. Particularly timely and insightful.
You’ll enjoy this one if you’re interested in young adult fiction, kind-of-but-not-really sci-fi, and social media and technology and their effects on our lives.
2. In Real Life
In Real Life is a graphic novel about an average girl who finds a community and purpose in an online game, only to realize that just because it’s a game, and just because it’s online, doesn’t mean it’s not real and that people can’t be hurt.
If that sounds a little on the nose, it’s because it is. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the book is bad by any means, I just thought it was completely average. There’s not much character development, it’s a pretty shallow story with little motivation behind the plot, and the morals of friendship and responsibility come off a little heavy-handed.
It seems like there’s a cool world somewhere here in the Coarsegold game, but it wasn’t fully explored here. An enjoyable enough read, but it left me slightly disappointed.
Grade: 5/10
3. Saga Vol. 9
By Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
The Saga series is really unique. It’s a creative and inventive sci-fi adventure the whole way through, but it has a lot of very human moments (despite featuring mostly fantastical creatures). Volume 9 feels like it’s the “dark night of the soul” moment for the series, where a lot of things begin to go wrong for the heroes (and anti-heroes alike).
All-in-all, the Saga series is really worth reading. It’s definitely R-rated, though, so keep that in mind before picking it up.
Grade: 8.5/10
4. Nova Volume 1: Origin
By Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness
If you know me, you’ll know I’m a big fan of graphic novels (heck, I even studied them at Stanford). Even though I love superheroes—growing up with shows and movies about Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and the X-Men—I’ve never been a huge fan of comic books themselves.
I find the stories to be convoluted, requiring too much prior knowledge, and often overly shallow or simple. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them (I often do!), I just don’t find them to be the best story-wise. Standalone, limited stories are often better, particularly some of the Batman and Superman books that have come out over the years, but for the most part I just think of comics as enjoyable, lighthearted fun, and not much more.
Nova definitely falls into that bucket for me. It is really fun, and it’s definitely worth a read, but it doesn’t feel impactful or monumental. I do love the suit design, though.
Grade: 7/10
5. Neverwhere
I have a confession to make: I’ve never read a Neil Gaiman novel before. But I’m glad I have now. This book is right up my alley (no pun intended).
I love Gaiman’s wit and humor, infused into the writing in a self-aware-yet-understated way. It’s a clever story.
Though, I must admit that describing it as “Narnia for adults,” which is how I first encountered it, lead me to have a completely different picture in my head than what was actually on the page upon cracking it open.
If you pick this book up, go at it with an open mind. It’s not really like anything I’ve read before. I quite enjoyed it, though I don’t think the world felt as expansive as it could have, given the imagination put into it.
I’d definitely like to spend more time in London Below, though I think it would be great to expand upon the world a bit more and make it feel like it fits together more cohesively, for all its lack of cohesion.
Grade: 8/10
6. Nova Volume 2: Rookie Season
By Zebb Wells, Paco Medina, and Carlo Barberi
After enjoying Volume 1 (for its fun factor more than its literary mastery), I picked up Volume 2 in the Nova series. I have to admit, this one fell much flatter for me. It didn’t have the same loveable character moments that really set the first volume apart.
One thing I’m trying to do more this year is—if I’m reading a book or series I’m not enjoying—to simply stop reading it. Life’s too short to read stuff you don’t like (or something like that). To that end, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.
Grade: 5/10
7. Stargazing Dog
This story looked cute and fun when I initially opened it, but upon reading, what I got was an unexpectedly depressing and seemingly pointless story about a man’s life falling apart, while his cute dog has no idea what’s going on and follows him happily into homelessness and poverty.
I guess maybe that was the point? That dogs love unconditionally? It’s really unclear. And the “epilogue,” which makes up the second have of the book, is no less depressing and no more enlightening.
I didn’t enjoy this one at all.
Grade: 2/10
8. The Dark Fields (a.k.a. Limitless)
I saw the movie Limitless (starring Bradley Cooper) years ago, and I really enjoyed both the concept of a cognition-enhancing drug and the story of a dead-end writer getting his hands on it, along with all the craziness that can happen as a result. Just recently, I discovered the book that the movie was based on (originally called The Dark Fields, renamed Limitless after the release of the movie).
Overall, I really enjoyed it. In particular, the writing is smooth and intelligent, and the pacing keeps things moving along. It only took a couple of days to read, and it wasn’t burdened with unnecessary weight.
Because I enjoyed both the movie and the book, this is an interesting case for me. I actually think that finding a middle ground between the magical properties of the pill in the movie and the more subdued enhancements in the book (along with the vastly different endings) would result in a really great story. As it is, both the book and movie are very enjoyable, but neither stands out as truly incredible.
Grade: 8/10
9. On a Sunbeam
This graphic novel is a story about finding family and the nature of belonging, set against a colorful sci-fi backdrop.
I quite enjoyed the story and the unique art style that accompanies it. It has a pleasant tone throughout the entire story, one that’s fairly relaxed, but builds like a symphony when there is danger or tension.
The relationships are all fleshed out well, particularly for a genre that sometimes forgets to do so. The characters are somewhat idiosyncratic, but in an understandable and enjoyable way.
The art really is beautiful and Tillie uses color to tell time and display emotion in a really effortless way. The only problem with the art style is that it was sometimes difficult to tell what exactly was happening, and I felt like I had to re-orient myself on every page (sometimes every frame) in order to understand which character I was looking at, as most of their faces look identical and the often low-contrast color palette left me mistaking one character for another.
All told, this story feels like a breath of fresh air in a way, and I recommend graphic novel fans check it out.
Grade: 8/10
10. Spider-Man Noir Vol. 1
By David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, and Carmine Di Giandomenico
Spider-Man Noir is set in the 1930s, in the midst of a crumbling, corrupt New York City. I was intrigued by the premise after watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, so I was excited to dig into the comic version.
I have to say, this one fell pretty flat for me. It’s definitely an interesting premise, with the Green Goblin running a mob made up of other prominent Spider-Man villains and destroying New York with his corrupt business, but it ultimately felt more like a Batman origin story than a Spider-Man one. I guess that’s part of the point of Spider-Man Noir, that he’s a little darker and exists in a much different time and place, but it didn’t connect emotionally for me.
Ultimately, this one didn’t really connect for me emotionally.
Grade: 4/10
11. Paradime
I’ll be honest here, I struggled to stay interested in this one. After reading The Dark Fields/Limitless (#8 on this list), I thought I would give this book a shot. I enjoyed Limitless well enough, so why not?
Well, where Limitless really moved along and kept my attention the whole way through, this one pretty much did the opposite. It’s supposed to be an intriguing tale about human psychology when an average Joe kitchen worker meets his doppelganger—a super-successful venture capitalist and tech mogul—but it really is a just a deeply dissatisfying story about a troubled man losing his grip on reality.
It primarily feels like things happen to the protagonist, rather than the other way around. There is also, unfortunately, no “save the cat” moment for him, meaning that as the reader I was never connected to nor rooting for the protagonist.
The premise of this book is interesting, but the end product feels like it could’ve used a few more revisions.
Grade: 3.5/10
12. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
This is the 1968 novel that later inspired Blade Runner (and really launched the cyberpunk genre as we know it). Though I knew that it had inspired Blade Runner, I didn’t know how strong the similarity between the two would be, or what elements would be consistent between them.
It might be more apt to describe Blade Runner as a re-imagining of Philip K. Dick’s story. And, honestly, Blade Runner is quite a lot better. Electric Sheep has a lot of the elements that make Blade Runner what it is, albeit with different names, such as bounty hunters, androids, flying cars, and a worn-down planet in decline as most of the human race moves off-world.
However, the world of the book is much more narrow, much less developed. As are the characters. Many of the interactions between different characters are really weak and tend to not make much sense. At some points, I felt like I was missing some paragraphs that would lead from one exchange to another.
I wouldn’t call this a great book, but I understand why it’s an important one. Many of the elements that are introduced here are woven into a world with an atmosphere and tone that now defines the cyberpunk genre, and in that way, it was incredibly forward-looking when it was published.
Grade: 5/10
13. Girl in Landscape
This book has an interesting premise… and that’s about the most positive thing I can say about it. As for the rest, the characters are very flat and don’t act like real people, not much happens throughout the plot (certainly nothing very meaningful), the few interesting elements aren’t paid off, and what little story there is doesn’t really resolve, nor is it remotely satisfying.
The biggest problem throughout the story is an elementary one, often taught in the first lesson of a creative writing class: the protagonist must take action. In Girl in Landscape, the protagonist—a girl of thirteen named Pella—hardly takes any action herself throughout the entire book. The few things that do happen mostly happen to her, rather than her taking proactive action to make things happen. This leaves both the protagonist and the reader following her life (I hesitate to say “journey” here, because there isn’t one) feeling powerless.
Grade: 2/10
14. A Drifting Life
A Drifting Life is an autobiographical manga following Tatsumi’s beginnings in the manga industry, from his middleschool days in postwar Japan in the late 1940s through the start of his professional career into the 1950s. His storytelling style is friendly and approachable, and this one—despite being over 800 pages long—is a fairly quick read. Tatsumi’s art style and honesty in his storytelling are refreshing, and he incorporates the larger context of what was going on around Japan throughout the book, though the majority of the story is told through his own point of view.
If you’re interested in the history of manga, this is a must-read. One of the most striking things to me was just how prolific the authors shown in the book (Tatsumi included) were at the time. They would crank out dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of pages of brand new story and art every month. It’s rather inspiring to see just how hard they worked to do what they love.
Grade: 8/10
15. Winter’s King
This one isn’t a book, more of a short story, but as it sometimes appears as a standalone volume, I’m counting it.
Winter’s King is a kind of ret-conned part of Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle, and it reads as much more of an experiment in tone than a full story. While technically having a plot, the story is rather simple and straightforward. It begins to explore interesting concepts of identity and the ability to trust one’s own thoughts, but cuts itself short, presumably for want of space (the story was originally published in a science fiction anthology).
While there are some interesting concepts here (ones I look forward to seeing again as I read other books from the Hainish Cycle), Winter’s King feels like a rough sketch, unfinished, with little to offer in way of both story and character.
Grade: 3/10
16. Magic for Liars
Magic for Liars is an interesting and engaging read. I sped through this one, reading it in just a couple of days, which is quick for me at this point, busy as life is.
While everyone else seems to be trying to do more serious worldbuilding in their novels (certainly thanks to Game of Thrones and the like), Magic for Liars contents itself with just being an entertaining whodunnit murder-mystery, set in a world where magic exists behind the scenes, a-la Harry Potter.
Overall, this is an entertaining book, quite different from what I’m used to reading. Despite sounding like it would be a standard YA novel, it’s much more adult, handling some complicated and heavy themes.
However, the ending, while having the correct twists and turns, doesn’t feel like it resolves fully the promises that were set up earlier in the story. I think that’s partially intentional, sending the message that life is often unresolved and dissatisfactory, but the last handful of chapters feel rather rushed and unfinished, like they could’ve used an extra few rounds of revisions. Other than that, I would’ve liked a bit more depth to the world of magic, which I think could have been achieved without diving into full-on worldbuilding.
Grade: 6.5/10
17. Snow Crash
Snow Crash is an interesting one for me. I studied Communication in college, which was a mix of media and technology studies, so we studied things like VR and AR and how they affect the way we view the world and communicate with one another.
So Snow Crash was, naturally, a part of our curriculum during some of the introductory courses of the program. That being said, I have only a vague memory of reading it, so picking it up again was like reading it for the first time.
I do appreciate the forward-thinking leaps in technology in this book (initially published in 1992), particularly around virtual reality. Stephenson dreams up the Metaverse, an immersive, fully-3D experience that stands as a clear predecessor to the worlds of The Matrix and Ready Player One.
However, the story leaves much to be desired. It feels more like a mish-mash of random thoughts that Stephenson had that weren’t fleshed out or robust enough to stand on their own and consequently don’t really fit together in a smooth or satisfying way.
If you’re really interested in the history of science fiction and how it’s evolved over time, this book is an interesting and fairly quick read, and its concepts have been influential to many other authors. If you’re just looking for a really compelling sci-fi story, I’d pass on this one and look elsewhere.
Grade: 5/10
18. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is incredibly well-written. It felt appropriately long, allowing you to get the full experience of the supernatural subculture in which the protagonist (the eponymous Harry August) lives, while not dragging at any moment.
Given the premise of a life lived on repeat, it sounds as if the story itself could get repetitive, but North allows both the characters and the reader to explore different facets of the central supernatural phenomenon and its effect on Harry August at different times, keeping the plot refreshing and intriguing the whole way through.
The only improvement I might make would be to spend more time in development of some of the key supporting characters, including the “villain” of the story, who turns out to be an old friend and colleague of Harry’s. Part of the challenge throughout comes from Harry’s own struggle between his feelings toward his friend and his drive to do what he knows to be right. However, particularly toward the end, I found myself wondering why he had such loyalty to this character, particularly because I, as the reader, had no such fondness for the character.
That being said, the premise itself promises much from the beginning, and North fulfills that promise in full, taking the reader on an engaging and deep journey into human nature and explores the consequences of the choices we make, even beyond the scope of our own lives.
Grade: 9/10
19. The Boys Volume One: The Name of the Game
By Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
I recently watched the first season of The Boys on Amazon, which is getting a lot of attention right now. The concept is really unique, but the show is very much lacking in execution.
Anyway, I was interested enough in the premise to check out the first volume of the graphic novel series that the show is based on. As per usual, the book is much better than the show. Though both are incredibly gritty and downright disgusting at times, the graphic novel uses that violence and nastiness to propel the story forward, covering the world in a blood-red grime that is a key foundation for the events that follow.
The graphic novel is by no means an incredible read, more of an interesting premise than anything, but by keeping the plot moving, it stays engaging and readable all the way through.
Note: both the book and show are incredibly R-rated (though the book moreso). Take that into consideration before you decide to read or watch.
Grade: 6/10
20. A Zoo in Winter
I first read this book in a college course (I was lucky enough to take a few classes entirely focused on manga), and I just picked it up off the shelf to revisit it. Similar to Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s A Drifting Life, this book is an autobiographical work, recounting Taniguchi’s early days in the manga industry during the 1960s.
Unlike A Drifting Life, this work isn’t quite so expansive and really focuses in on Taniguchi’s first two years living in Tokyo and working as an apprentice to a well-known manga artist. In reality, it’s essentially a series of vignettes with a loose throughline of Taniguchi’s desire to create art and his struggles to balance his dreams with the realities of adulthood.
The tone of this novel is really pleasant, and it feels like the reader is getting a peek into the personal life of the protagonist. If you’re interested in the history of manga or the process of creating it, this is a great story and an easy read.
Grade: 8.5/10
21. Solanin
Solanin neither a wild ride nor a slow burn, but much more of an introspective look into the lives of young people, just out of college, simply trying to figure it all out.
The book centers around a group of college friends, most of whom have recently graduated, and are now working various office or freelance jobs as they start to come to terms with what they want to do with their lives.
What they’re experiencing is not so much angst as that general frustration of just being out in the wide open world for the first time, not having a direction, we’ve all experienced. In that way, it feels like a very familiar and relatable story, with what feel like the highest stakes imaginable: one’s whole life. Asano paints a great, realistic picture of this period in the characters’ lives, where not too much really happens (there are precious few moments), but feels pressing and important all the same.
Centered around the idea of how to move forward—and how to incorporate who we’ve been in the past—Solanin is a great read if you want to feel like you’re 22 again.
Grade: 8/10
22. Killing and Dying
I’m not exactly sure what to think of this one. I picked it up from the library on a whim, just browsing the shelves and pulling out a few books that looked interesting.
This book contains six short stories in graphic novel format, all of which have that similar melancholic feeling, showing a slice of everyday life, and ultimately lacking in much impact, at least for me. That being said, this collection is not bad by any means, but neither is it great.
Grade: 5/10
23. Berserker
Set in the late 1800s, this is a story about a Norwegian family, descended from warriors and craftsmen upon whom the old gods bestowed the Nytte, essentially giving each of them a superpower of sorts.
After tragedy at home, the four young adults are forced to flee to America, where they meet with danger and peril in the Wild West.
Overall, this is an easy and fun read. The relationship building is solid, and the action is riveting. The ending comes a little quickly and feels a bit rushed and slightly lackluster, specifically because it doesn’t feel fully motivated by things set up earlier in the story. It’s a slight hand-wave, as we’re expected to just kind of go along with it.
Other than that, this book is solid overall, and I think I’ll pick up the sequel.
Grade: 7/10
